Does living in a single parent home affect your level of success?Jessica TurnerApril 24, 2014Senior ThesisPeriod: 4“Jessica, you'll never get into Princeton University!” said my uncle, who laughed as I got out of his car. I never thought I would hear those words coming from my “favorite” uncle. When he told me I had so many emotions in my head. At that moment I felt angry at him and at myself because at that moment he made me feel like I was worthless. Where was the confidence in me and my abilities? This man is my uncle, someone who is supposed to be my support system. My uncle works for the government as a journalist. He is an extremely intelligent man, but is known for being arrogant and selfish. He tends to make negative comments about my father's education level and my mother's employment situation. The fact that he has a paid job and has more education than my mother does not make him “better”. My father does not live in the same family. This gives my uncle the opportunity to state that my father's absence is the reason we struggle. He also believes that my brother and I will follow in his footsteps: we will not succeed. This story is important because black women are currently stereotyped as single parents with children, who count for nothing. I chose this story because it shows how family can negatively influence people more than strangers. Being part of this experience challenged me to be a better person. It made me rethink who I am, while simultaneously working to prove my uncle wrong. Completing this project will allow me to hear individuals' stories about growing up in single-parent families and overcoming challenges despite the odds. The purpose of this…middle of the paper…everyone who experiences poverty earns high school diplomas, and 70% of those born into poverty and 63% who live in poverty graduate from high school. This evidence is important because it shows that not all children living in single-parent homes are living on the streets or engaging in illegal activities. From reading The Origins of African-American Family Structure by Steven Ruggles elaborated on the reasoning behind single-parent homes. His claim is that single-parent homes refer to the era of slavery. He says slavery is what created disorganization and instability in black families. What is shocking is that black marriages have started to fail more than white ones, which has increased single-parent families. This cannot be solved unless men and women fight to be together. The reasoning behind marriages could also be very personal and financial rather than due to lack of love and communication.